Football
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Jawan Turner
December 1, 2016
When George Novak retired as the football coach at Woodland Hills earlier this month, he left a legacy of helping hundreds of players continue their careers at the college level. One of Novak's success stories is Jawan Turner, a standout defensive lineman at California University of Pennsylvania. Turner, who has been instrumental in the Vulcans undefeated season, is the focus of this week's WPIAL Alum Q&A.Big Game Hunting for Week Fourteen
November 30, 2016
Before we start this week’s Big Game Hunting, we would like to extend our sympathy to the family of DiMantae Bronaugh, the Aliquippa community and the WPIAL community as well, DiMantae’s battle with leukemia could not have been fought more fiercely or with more class. I pray it continues to bring us all closer together and, that he will be remembered forever. To the PIAA semi-finals we send five WPIAL Champions, for the first time ever. All five semi-finals featuring WPIAL teams will be right here on the MSA Sports Network for those of you who cannot make the sometimes considerable drive to follow your clubs. No choices to make means no complaints to the boss, which makes these next two weeks my favorite two weeks of the season to go Big Game Hunting!Friday HighLights AND Saturdays Scholastic Starz – 11/28/2016
November 28, 2016
Pittsburgh Central Catholic, West Allegheny and Thomas Jefferson won their gold on 11/18 at Heinz Field and began their quest for more gold this past weekend in the PIAA Quarterfinals while Beaver Falls got a rare weekend off. Steel Valley and Clairton claimed their WPIAL titles this past Saturday at Robert Morris University. Here are the five players who stood above the rest in four district wins and one season ending loss. J.J. Younger - Pittsburgh Central CatholicScholastic Notebook – 11/28/2016
If they made a TV show on this Steel Valley offense, they might call it the 700 Club. Steel Valley is having an offensive season like few have in WPIAL history. Or even state history. Steel Valley beat Neshannock, 49-14, in the WPIAL Class 2A title game Saturday night and Steel Valley now has scored 708 points in 13 games (54.5 average). Steel Valley becomes only the 12th team in WPIAL history to score 700 points in a season and the 20th in state history. But Steel Valley could climb near the top of the WPIAL list if the Ironmen go on to the PIAA championship game.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/28/2016
With the district football playoffs completely behind us now, our attention turns to The Road to Hershey and the state football playoffs as November turns to December this week on the MSA Sports Network. We have six PIAA Semifinals high school football state playoff games as well as PIHL high school hockey and the start of college basketball featuring Carlow University, plus it's the season finale of This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 28th: PIHL High School Hockey - Live Video Stream: Beaver vs Montour at 7:15pm on MSAsports.net Tuesday, November 29th: No Broadcasts2016 WPIAL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Final Results
November 27, 2016
The very first WPIAL six classification football postseason is now history. While the playoff path was split between The Highway to Heinz and The Road to RMU, six worthy district champions were crowned. Once the dust settled, five top-seeds and a #2-seed claimed gold and three of the winners successfully defending their titles. Here are ALL the results from the 2016 WPIAL Football Playoffs. ALL games can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. 2016 WPIAL CLASS 6-A FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 42 - Seneca Valley Raiders 7 (MSA) WPIAL CLASS 6-A Semifinals:
Clairton Wins 3rd Straight, 8th WPIAL 1-A Title in 9 Years
November 26, 2016
For the ninth time in the last eleven years and the 13th time overall, the Clairton Bears have captured WPIAL gold by defeating the Jeannette Jayhawks 26-6 at Joe Walton Stadium at Robert Morris University. Without their starting quarterback, Noah Hamlin, for the second straight game, the Bears relied heavily on running back Lamont Wade to lead the way for the victory. Wade rushed for 100 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns and salted away the victory with an 82-yard interception return for a third touchdown. The interception return was the dagger in what was Jeannette’s fifth loss to Clairton in the last two years.PIAA Football Quarterfinals Recaps 2016
November 25, 2016
While the WPIAL Class 2-A and Class 1-A championship football games were played Saturday at Robert Morris University and 3-A champion Steel Valley enjoyed the weekend off, WPIAL champions Pittsburgh Central Catholic, West Allegheny and Thomas Jefferson hit the field for Second Round state playoff action. While Pittsburgh Central Catholic and West Allegheyn weere winners to move on to the State Final Four, Thomas Jefferson saw their season end again at the nads of Erie Cathedral Prep. Here are recaps from those three state games heard here on The Network. A special thanks to Donny Chedrick, Bob Gregg and Mark Uriah for their help on these recaps. PIAA CLASS 6-A Quarterfinals:Chicks Picks for Week Thirteen
November 23, 2016
Welcome to Week 13 of the high school football season. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, Chick’s Picks took some time to reflect on all that she is thankful for this holiday season. Chick’s Picks is thankful for her trusty crystal ball. Without it, she would surely not be half the talented prognosticator that she is today. Chick’s Picks is thankful for The Fumbler and H.S. Picks. These rival prognosticators keep Chick’s Picks’ competitive spirit alive every season. Chick’s Picks is thankful for the WPIAL and its coaches and players. After all, these are the folks that keep her and her crystal ball in business.Big Game Hunting for Week Thirteen
The six-pack becomes a five-pack this week, not at all unlike when Steve Nagler is coming over to your house for the back-yard barbecue, one just seems to disappear before he gets to the picnic. It’s a pair of District Seven Championships at stake Saturday and the three largest classifications go to work in the PIAA Tournament “proper” this weekend as well. You can stuff yourself with turkey and the fixins, we will stuff you full of the best WPIAL football coverage in the land, let’s go Big Game Hunting!Friday HighLights AND Saturdays Scholastic Starz – 11/20/2016
November 20, 2016
There were eight WPIAL football games this past weekend. Half on Friday produced four district champions and the other half on Saturday produced four teams that are now one win away from bringing gridiron gold to their schools trophy case. here are the eight players who made it happen from both the sunny and warm North Shore of Pittsburgh on Friday, or the frozen tundra of four high school sites in Western Pa on Saturday. J.J. Younger - Pittsburgh Central CatholicThis Week on the MSA Sports Network – 11/20/2016
Despite the fact that the football fans holiday of high school football at Heinz Field is in the books, there is still plenty of postseason football to feast on this week on the MSA Sports Network. The Road to RMU conclude with both the Class 2-A and Class 1-A WPIAL championship football games as well as the District 6 Class 1-A title game and five PIAA Quarterfinals state playoff football broadcasts, plus a pair of PIHL high school hockey games, this months edition of Carlow Sports Talk and a pre-holiday edition of This Week in the WPIAL ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, November 21st:WPIAL Football Semifinals Recaps 2016
November 19, 2016
The new high school football postseason format has some strange twists that will take some time getting used to. Usually after the four games in one day marathon at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, district high school football fans usually can unwind for another week prior to the WPIAL winners entering the PIAA playoffs. However less than 24 hours after the 6-A, 5-A, 4-A and 3-A champions were crowned at the big house on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, the 2-A and 1-A playoffs continued with the Semifinals, setting the stage for next Saturdays completion of The Road to RMU. Here are the summaries of those four high school football Semifinals games. A special thanks to Bob Gregg, Steve Nagler, Bob Barrickman and Jimmy Lee Santorella for their help on these recaps.Scholastic Notebook – 11/19/2016
When a roughing-the-kicker penalty gave D.J. Opsatnik another chance at a game-tying field goal in Friday’s WPIAL Class 5 championship at Heinz Field, Opsatnik took advantage, making a 34-yarder that sent the game into overtime. West Allegheny eventually defeated McKeesport, 38-37, to win the title. But not only did that penalty give Opsatnik another chance to tie the game, it ended up giving him a future chance at the state record for career field goals.
Central Catholic’s 6th WPIAL Title Comes in First 6-A Finals
Pittsburgh Central Catholic used its tried and true formula – a power running attack and suffocating defense – along with crucial special teams plays to secure the first 6A football title in WPIAL history, defeating Seneca Valley 42-7 at Heinz Field. In the process, the top-seeded Vikings (12-1) claimed their second-straight championship, and sixth in team history. All of the previous titles for Central Catholic came in Class Quad-A.
West Allegheny Wins First WPIAL 5-A Title in OT Thriller
November 18, 2016
The West Allegheny Indians made sure there was no miracle for McKeesport on Friday at Heinz Field, but the Indians may be the team believing in magic after defeating the Tigers 38-37 in dramatic fashion in overtime at Heinz Field in a thrilling game to become the first 5A WPIAL Champion. Any championship win is special for any team, but the special teams play for both McKeesport and West Allegheny played a huge part in shaping this title game.Chicks Picks for Week Twelve
November 17, 2016
Welcome to Week 12 of the high school football season. After an incredible performance predicting last week’s winners, Chick’s Picks decided that she could take the rest of the season off and leave it in the hands of her trusty crystal ball. So, she packed up her golf clubs and boarded a plane headed for her favorite southern destination. The sun was shining beautifully on a warm fall morning. Chick’s Picks took a moment to enjoy the view on the first hole. Just as she was about to tee off, she heard a man yell, “Hey!”Big Game Hunting for Week Twelve
Big Game Hunting salutes one of the all-time greats of the game. In addition to being one of the greatest football coaches southwestern Pennsylvania has ever known, George Novak was always more than helpful, more than kind and more than welcoming to me personally. He was all those things, win or lose, and he was all those things, first game of the year or championship game. That’s class, there is a striking lack of it in today’s society. He takes a big chunk into retirement with him. I wish him all the best and congratulate him on a fantastic career. Have fun coach! This weekend we get the odd situation of Championship Games on Friday followed by semi-finals on Saturday.
Woodland Hills’ Only Football Coach and AD George Novak Retires
November 16, 2016
The only football coach and athletic director that Woodland Hills High School has ever known submitted his resignation papers Wednesday. George Novak, Pennsylvania’s 14th all-time winningest high school football coach, is stepping down after an illustrious 30-year career. Novak, 66, has won six WPIAL Championships while guiding the Wolverines to 306 wins along the way, the third best mark in WPIAL history. Only former Blackhawk coach Joe Hamilton and current Upper St. Clair coach Jim Render have won more games. “I’ve been blessed,” Novak told MSA Sports on This Week in the WPIAL after his 300th win in September. “I’ve had some great people to work with at Steel Valley and Woodland Hills.”
WPIAL Alum Q&A – Jesse Zubik
November 14, 2016
While the Avonworth football team has been on the WPIAL radar courtesy of some impressive playoff runs in recent years, the play of a former Antelope is also making headlines. Former Avonworth standout Jesse Zubik has produced a monster season as Washington and Jefferson College, putting up some of the best receiving numbers in all of DIII football. Consequently, the latest installment of WPIAL Alum Q&A will take a closer look at Zubik. As a member of the Antelopes in 2012, Zubik notched 330 yards receiving and three touchdowns as a junior. That season, Avonworth concluded its campaign with a record of 5-5, including a first-round playoff loss to Rochester.
